China hints at stable monetary policy, M2 reform

China’s central bank said Monday that stabilizing prices remains its top priority, reinforcing a growing consensus that Beijing is unlikely to boost liquidity despite concern over the global economy, the Wall Street Journal reported. Recent data shows both growth and inflation have eased somewhat, yet remain strong despite a series of interest rate increases this year. “There is some control over the causes of rising prices, but they haven’t been eliminated,” the People’s Bank of China said in Monday’s statement. Data showed that growth in the overall money supply slowed further in August, in line with the central bank’s “prudent” monetary policy. China’s broadest measure of money supply, M2, was up 13.5% at the end of August from a year earlier, slower than the 14.7% rise at the end of July. In the statement, the PBoC also said it is considering expanding its measure of M2 beyond bank deposits and circulating cash to also include funds in wealth management products, which have grown rapidly in the past year.